The Guardian: Sustainable development goals: why ending child marriage should be a target
Ommera Zafar, policy and advocacy officer at Girls Not Brides

“…[S]etting a target ‘to end child, early, and forced marriage’ will not just help monitor progress on reducing child marriage globally. It will also help catalyze efforts towards achieving a number of the proposed SDGs on poverty, nutrition, health, education, economic growth, and reduction of inequality — especially gender equality. … Of course, a target is not the be-all and end-all. As governments discuss how to finance the SDGs, it is vital that adequate funding goes to gender equality and realizing the needs of adolescent girls. Ending child marriage and achieving gender equality requires policy change and political will. In addition, it will require implementing policies, services, programs, and broader social norm change initiatives — all of which require additional resources…” (4/10).